JOHOR BARU, Feb 11 — The Home Ministry will announce whether a single agency will oversee all Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complexes this July, said Deputy Home Minister Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman.

The government was conducting a comprehensive review of the proposal meant to improve the immigration efficiency and reduce congestion, he added.

"The Cabinet is looking at the proposal and we expect this process to take about six months.

"We hope by this July the government can present the results of the review and decide whether it is necessary for us to establish a single agency,” he said after visiting the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) CIQ complex in JB Sentral here today.

Also present was new Immigration director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud.

Last August, Mohd Azis said the proposal for a single agency to coordinate operations at CIQ complexes nationwide, especially in Johor’s BSI and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB), was aimed at ensuring more efficient governance.

There are currently 23 different agencies in the BSI and 13 at the KSAB.

Mohd Azis also said efforts to reduce the congestion at BSI and KSAB remained a priority, following tourists and locals’ complaints.

Measures already taken include increasing manpower from the Immigration Department, police, auxiliary police and the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela), besides upgrading the Touch n ‘Go counters.

Mohd Azis also said the government must balance security needs with calls to reduce the size of the civil service.

"The government cannot compromise on this as it can impact national security,” he said, adding as an example that both Johor’s CIQ complexes at BSA and KSAB alone lack about 200 Immigration Department personnel.